


Party in the Desert

by Kylohhh



Series: 1001 Knights [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, F/M, M/M, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 06:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15188699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kylohhh/pseuds/Kylohhh
Summary: 21 year old Ben goes back to the small town where he spent the summers of his childhood. Poe, his erstwhile partner in juvenile pranks, insists on throwing a kegger in the desert to welcome him back. The story follows Rey, who's there to play wing woman to her best friend.





	Party in the Desert

**Author's Note:**

> Another repost from my Tumblr, (@kylohhh). Come say hi sometime.
> 
> I feel the need to specify ages here: Ben's 21, Poe is 18, Rey and Finn are 17.

Rey held on tightly to the beat-up black Jeep’s roll cage, hoping to conceal the way her hands were shaking. She had never been to a kegger before, but she couldn’t leave Finn alone with his crush, Poe, after he had begged her to play wing woman once again.

She wasn’t feeling very needed as she watched the two guys exchange coy glances from behind mirror tinted sunglasses. The glare from the sunset was intense and the afternoon heat was compounded by BB insisting on sitting right up next to her in the back row’s middle seat. Poe had grinned at her attempts to coax and cajole the dog to the passenger side; The middle seat was his, come hell or high water.

Poe kept driving through the dunes and Rey relaxed as the desert passed them by. By the time she could see the bonfire in the distance, the sun had finally retreated and the lingering sweat and night air combined to have her shivering.

Growing up in the foster care system didn’t leave Rey afraid of breaking rules in general, but drinking at a kegger at 17 was a bit more daring than cutting class. As they found a spot to park in the ring of cars surrounding the fire, Rey listened to Poe and Finn discussing the party’s mysterious host, Ben.

Apparently he had been a friend of Poe’s as a kid, when he came to stay every summer at the Skywalker Ranch. He had recently inherited the property from his grandfather. Poe ran into him in town and insisted on a party to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Rey and Finn hadn’t strictly been invited, but Poe had begged them to come.

She ran into the guy in question when he came to her rescue. She had been making a fumbling attempt to refill her cup and couldn’t seem to get the tap to work. Poe and Finn had long since disappeared into the dunes together and she knew enough to know when her company was no longer needed.

His dark hair fell into his eyes as he leaned over to top up her cup. She felt her face clush with more than the heat of the bonfire as he slowly handed over her drink, regarding her from under hooded eyes.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he grumbled.

“Maybe,” she admitted in her best attempt at a blase attitude. She shrugged one shoulder and took a sip of lager, hoping to appear as mysterious and intriguing as he did.

“Who brought you? How are you getting home?”

“Poe,” they both muttered at the same time. He shook his head and dragged the hair out of his eyes.

“I told him he was the only exception for this party! I really don’t need every underage kid in the county showing up just because he has the hots for one of them,” he fumed, the alcohol and annoyance combining to raise a flush across his cheeks.

“Hey! We aren’t kids! Finn and I are only a year younger than him,” she exclaimed.

His eyes widened in horror.

“You aren’t even eighteen yet? Jesus Christ! Give me that!” He snatched the beer from her hands and poured it into the sand despite her protests “Where is that idiot? He needs to take you home right now! What was he thinking, bringing you?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, he and Finn have been gone for ages. God only knows when they’ll show back up again! And he was probably thinking I would be a more mellow drinking buddy than you, you oversized buzzkill!”

Noticing the wide berth other party goers were giving them, Ben sighed and dragged a hand down his face.

“All right, that’s enough. I’ll wait with you until Poe turns back up. I can’t have you causing any more trouble or getting into any. The last thing I need is to be busted for providing a minor with alcohol or for one of my friends to try anything with your underage ass,” he huffed.

“My underage ass has a name, you know!”

“Which is…?” he trailed off.

“Rey.”

He leaned back with a smirk. “Nice to meet you, Rey,” he deadpanned, nodding seriously at her butt.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are my favorite. I'd love to hear from you.


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